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HF 631 Fee increase

Do you support a license fee increase in some form?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Undecided


Results are only viewable after voting.

Fishbonker

Life Member
This bill was introduced last year and passed the House. There is a lengthy discussion in that thread from last year just a few threads below this one. The bill was introduced in the Senate and assigned a sub committee. The legislation session ended before any action could be taken on the bill.

The bill was supposed to be reintroduced and acted on Monday but I have not seen anything. I hear today that Farm Bureau is blocking the bill from any action because the Habitat Stamp funds would allow for public land acquisition. The same reason they fought so hard against it last year.

Look at the following cut and paste that shows what kind of land the DNR acquires and how much:



What are Iowa’s PUBLIC lands?

Iowa’s public lands include lakes, streams, forests, prairies, preserves, hatcheries, wildlife areas, and parks. Eminent domain is NOT used by the DNR.


Did you know?

· The DNR is one of the only state agencies that pays property taxes on Iowa’s public lands. In FY18, the DNR paid a total of $1,009,469.15 in property taxes.

· Iowa has 36 million acres

· 109,208 – total number acres for which the DNR pays property taxes

· 380,507 – total number of acres publicly available for use including state parks, wildlife management areas, public hunting areas, trails and lakes.

· 1% - total percentage of public lands available for use by Iowans in the entire state.

· 137,543 -- total number of acres of public land acquired since 1990 when the DNR tax code—which requires DNR to pay property taxes on land acquired with REAP and Wildlife Habitat Stamp—was enacted.

· 32 – average Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) of public lands

· $2,258 – FY17 average purchase price per acre for public lands

· $7,326 – 2017 statewide average farmland value per acre

· 37% of public lands are classified as Highly Erodible Soils (HEL)

· 17% of public lands are Hydric Soils

· 40% of public lands are forested

· 14% of public lands are water

· 919,405 – number of acres of public lands in Iowa’s Road Right-of-way

· Iowa ranks 47th in the nation for fewest acres for public use, according to the U.S. Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States

How it works:
The vast majority of sellers make initial contact the DNR about land they are wishing to sell to the Department. Often, landowners want their land permanently protected and available for Iowans to enjoy. The DNR does not automatically accept; however, the land must meet the following criteria:

  • There must be a large benefit for conservation, recreation or the environment. Functional habitats, water quality, etc.
  • It must provide a public benefit and access.
  • DNR staff must be able to efficiently manage the land.
The Department does turn down land purchase offers and donations often due to not meeting the above objectives.

Funding Sources

REAP Open Spaces funding is used, in part, to purchase public land for outdoor recreation. Land purchased is ONLY acquired from willing sellers and at appraised market value. These lands remain on county property tax rolls.

Primary funding sources for these activities include:

REAP Open Spaces
  • Wildlife Habitat Stamp
Federal:
  • Duck Stamp
  • Federal Receipts
  • North America Wetland Conservation Act
  • State Wildlife Grant
  • Pittman/Robertson Act
  • Federal Endangered Species
  • Federal Mitigation Funds
  • Federal Highway Administration (Scenic By-Way)
Other:
Private/Partner Organizations

Please contact the members of the Ways and Means Committee:


Tell them you are supportive of a license fee increase and you would like to see the bill (HF631) move forward. Or even tell them you are supportive of a fee increase in someway other than HF631.

If you are not supportive of a fee increase tell them that too and ask that they let the Farm Bureau dictate politics and laws in Iowa.
 
remind me again how licensing fees are collected and allocated. Meaning, do our license fees go directly to DNR or do the funds go to the general fund and then allocated as part of the overall budget?

Other questions/comments: 1. I would support the landowner any sex tag going to normal price.
2. How do other groups help contribute? Ie... at state lands people are hunting. Hunter have bought licenses. Other people are hiking, walking their dog, bird watching, camping, etc. Is there a mechanism for these people to contribute as well? What about a pass that must be purchase that must be visible on car if parked at state ground parking lot? Other ideas?
 
Is this a resident fee increase or NR increase, or both?

I think I see the line that is giving you heart burn: "Or even tell them you are supportive of a fee increase in someway other than HF631". Definitely not my intention to get NR fees increased. This is an Iowa problem that needs to be solved by Iowans. "Some other way" is promoting out of the box thinking. If we could somehow get the legislature out of the fee increase process and into the NRC process it wouldn't be subject to special interest groups like FB or even the IBA. The people paying the increase would have direct input at NRC meetings, the yearly video meeting etc etc.
 
remind me again how licensing fees are collected and allocated. Meaning, do our license fees go directly to DNR or do the funds go to the general fund and then allocated as part of the overall budget?

Other questions/comments: 1. I would support the landowner any sex tag going to normal price.
2. How do other groups help contribute? Ie... at state lands people are hunting. Hunter have bought licenses. Other people are hiking, walking their dog, bird watching, camping, etc. Is there a mechanism for these people to contribute as well? What about a pass that must be purchase that must be visible on car if parked at state ground parking lot? Other ideas?

Best explanation I have seen on how the trust fund works:

http://nwiowaoutdoors.com/2017/08/2...nd-and-its-impact-on-iowas-natural-resources/
 
· 32 – average Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) of public lands Average CSR rating for Iowa farmland is 87. There's no way to make a living raising crops on land with a CSR rating of 32. Sorry FB

· $2,258 – FY17 average purchase price per acre for public lands

· $7,326 – 2017 statewide average farmland value per acre

· 37% of public lands are classified as Highly Erodible Soils (HEL)

· 17% of public lands are Hydric Soils

· 40% of public lands are forested
The Senate will not even listen to you when you show the facts. Bonker did a great job putting the public land facts on here. Time to make some phone calls
 
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I think I see the line that is giving you heart burn: "Or even tell them you are supportive of a fee increase in someway other than HF631". Definitely not my intention to get NR fees increased. This is an Iowa problem that needs to be solved by Iowans. "Some other way" is promoting out of the box thinking. If we could somehow get the legislature out of the fee increase process and into the NRC process it wouldn't be subject to special interest groups like FB or even the IBA. The people paying the increase would have direct input at NRC meetings, the yearly video meeting etc etc.

It is pretty high already--the NR licenses.
 
· 32 – average Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) of public lands Average CSR rating for Iowa farmland is 87. There's no way to make a living raising crops on land with a CSR rating of 32. Sorry FB

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Agree with all above comments. One ?.... don’t want to distract BUT... where u get 87 csr average? I found some csr1 data that puts it in the 50’s-60’s. 87 is about as high as u ever see. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a field average over that. I’ve never seen 90 for a field, ever. I’m sure they exist. But- that might be a little high. https://tax.iowa.gov/sites/files/idr/documents/2008FSACroplandCSR.pdf

32 is low. If counting woods- it may be higher in tillable.
BUT- point remains..... $ for a lot of things but we can’t fund conservation, Dnr officers, etc etc. walk on ground has been one advancement thankfully.
Our area just voted yes on ONE high school. Like $117 million dollars or something insane like that. Which - school is important but it’s probably being built for double what Trump could build it for & we have seen that throwing gazillions into public education often doesn’t reap results. Government money pits and places they THROW $ away at but we can’t fund our basic outdoors and ecosystem? Conservation & the outdoor state we live in takes a back seat. Heck- we pay wealthy farmers enough in subsidies that this shouldn’t be an issue. I do wish FB would vanish. Disgusting organization who pimps out legislatures. I’m as conservative & conservation minded as u can get (they actually go together) but legislatures & special interests be biggest threat to: hunting, recreation, resources for law enforcement, access to good hunting, habitat, etc.
 
If I added it up, I probably spent easily $300 on tags and licenses for turkeys and deer for me, wife and two kids.
 
Probably a dumb question but why is the FB all fire against the state buying up some “rough” ground. It seems to me that more public hunting ground goes hand in hand with there mantra that the only good deer is a dead deer.
 
Probably a dumb question but why is the FB all fire against the state buying up some “rough” ground. It seems to me that more public hunting ground goes hand in hand with there mantra that the only good deer is a dead deer.

I've heard them use the argument that some young farmer might buy a bad piece of ground to get their start in farming. Any "public" ground could be "put to better use" in their opinion.
 
Man- u think my Liberal Whacko friends would have a group to fight on this issue?!?!! Putting more land into crp or public use.... Increase in license fees- come on- no Lib ever says no to more $ for government. Where are all the whacko liberals?!? Ok- probably not on here ;). Probably doing something more meaningful like picketing my kids school so the boys can use the girls bathroom or something.
 
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Man- u think my Liberal Whacko friends would have a group to fight on this issue?!?!! Putting more land into crp or public use.... Increase in license fees- come on- no Lib ever says no to more $ for government. Where are all the whacko liberals?!? Ok- probably not on here ;). Probably doing something more meaningful like picketing my kids school so the boys can use the girls bathroom or something.

Skip, all due respect from a "liberal" but it has been my experience that most of our conservative legislators would rather fiscally starve an organization such as the DNR, rendering in ineffective so they can point to its ineffectiveness and continue to downsize in the name of smaller government. At the same time selling our public lands/resources to the highest bidder. I do not believe we have very many state house that would vote for anything conservation minded unless their handlers (donors) sign off on it. Just my perspective. ..
 
Skip, all due respect from a "liberal" but it has been my experience that most of our conservative legislators would rather fiscally starve an organization such as the DNR, rendering in ineffective so they can point to its ineffectiveness and continue to downsize in the name of smaller government. At the same time selling our public lands/resources to the highest bidder. I do not believe we have very many state house that would vote for anything conservation minded unless their handlers (donors) sign off on it. Just my perspective. ..
Thank you. Well put.
Conservatives SHOULD be and sometimes are “CONSERVATIONISTS”.
Republicrats in the legislature - a large # are FB bought and paid for stooges. Democans are about the same - bought and paid for- just by other groups. That’s politicians for you. There are some good ones, it’s just the exception to the rule.
I listen to my Liberal friends. I see them plant their one tree on “earth day” & look at me cross eyed when I tell em I plant 10,000 trees a year.

It just seems my Liberal friends have lost touch on the rare issues we agree on- Conservation. Now- all they talk about (because I LISTEN with genuinely wanting to hear them) is: LBGTQ waste of discussion stuff. Everyone is racist and offensive. Fight for illegal immigrants & kids - not like we don’t have our own issues - the actual CITIZENS. It wasn’t hardly 10-15 years ago my Liberal friends ranted about lower amount of people here and on the planet - as people destroy it (don’t hear that anymore - just fight for illegals rights). If I hear anything “environment” it’s “climate change”.

So- yes, with all due respect. Could Liberals actually join TRUE Conservatives (conservatives = conservationists... or ones that follow it right) & join on this one issue? 2 differing groups that agree FB is a special interest nightmare buying politicians. Disgusts me and should disgust my Liberal friends. Just wish we’d hear from them & could join to fight on this sole issue. And sorry- conservation & environment is a real issue & more important than debating lil boys who think they are girls inside. As many out there who wanna join and fight for real issues- be great!!
 
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